STUTTGART, Germany - The new commander of U.S. European Command told reporters he’s “very interested in finding additional and alternative ways for allies to contribute” to coalition efforts in Afghanistan.

ABOARD A MILITARY AIRCRAFT - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said he’s heartened that al-Qaida hasn’t been able to reignite sectarian violence in Iraq despite its acts of violence leading up to the deadline for U.S. troops to leave Iraqi cities.

HILLAH, Iraq - Soldiers with the 172nd Infantry Brigade are helping documentarians, historians and preservationists as they work to ensure that ancient Iraqi history is preserved and documented in Babil province.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - In accordance with Article 5 of the security agreement between the U.S. and Iraqi governments, Iraqi security forces now have full ownership of security in their cities, towns and villages.

WASHINGTON - Improved recognition, treatment and prevention of substance abuse among servicemembers is the focus of a recent collaboration between the Defense Department and the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

WASHINGTON - The U.S. military will have no issues complying with the U.S.-Iraq Status of Forces Agreement, which requires all U.S. troops to withdraw from Iraqi cities by June 30, the commander of Multinational Force Iraq said.

WASHINGTON - The United States and Russia’s shared struggles offer great opportunities, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said during an address at Russia’s Military Academy of the General Staff in Moscow.

WASHINGTON - Afghan and coalition forces detained several suspected Taliban militants during an operation designed to disrupt Taliban bombing and rocket attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Afghanistan’s Helmand province.

NATICK, Mass. - A small group of soldiers regularly endures searing heat, freezing cold, extreme altitudes and exhausting exercise for Army scientists in studies that impact nearly everything today's soldiers eat, wear and use in the field.

WASHINGTON - As the nation fights two protracted wars and North Korea rattles off war-like rhetoric, officials working on the 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review are striving to strike a balance between the needs of the current fight and preparing for future threats.

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany - Air Force Maj. Gen. Michael Dubie, Vermont’s adjutant general, made office calls with staff at U.S. Air Forces in Europe and 17th Air Force for updates on Macedonia and Senegal.

WASHINGTON - Air Force Gen. Douglas M. Fraser assumed the top post at U.S. Southern Command, promising to build on the strong partnerships fostered by the outgoing commander, Navy Adm. James Stavridis.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan - Guests and dignitaries gathered to open Afghanistan's first national park and reserve at the Band-e-Amir Lakes Natural dam, marking a turning point in the country's history.

ORLANDO, Fla. - The chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told the National Association of Collegiate Directors of Athletics that its members are in a position to connect wounded veterans to their greater communities.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama recognized in his Father’s Day proclamation the sacrifices military fathers make every day, and hosted the Military Father of the Year at the White House for a town hall session on fatherhood.

BAGHDAD - This Father’s Day weekend has special meaning for Army Maj. Benjamin Rex, who has been serving in Baghdad alongside his son, Army Pfc. Jeromy Rex, both in the 82nd Airborne Division's 3rd Brigade Combat Team.

WASHINGTON - A foundation formed by the family of a fallen Marine whose story was told in the HBO movie “Taking Chance” has donated $10,000 to a group that works to help wounded veterans and their families.

WASHINGTON - As protestors in Iran demonstrate the power of social networking, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates called the freedom of communication afforded by communications technologies “a huge strategic asset for the United States.”

WASHINGTON - The United States has deployed missile defense equipment to the Pacific amid reports alleging that North Korea has threatened to fire a ballistic missile toward Hawaii, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said.

WASHINGTON - The United States and its partners have the assets to carry out a UN Security Council resolution to stop North Korea’s nuclear proliferation activities, but they hold out hope that country won't put them to the test.

WASHINGTON - The threats that face the United States are more amorphous today than at any time in history, and those responsible for defending North America must maintain vigilance, Air Force Gen. Gene Renuart said.

WASHINGTON - The new appointee to lead Defense Department public affairs, Price Floyd, brings a dual objective to the office: improve the way the department communicates and solicit feedback in the process.

FORWARD OPERATING BASE SHANK, Afghanistan - Capt. Samuel Carlson followed the typical Army career route of retiring some 20 years after enlistment. Now the 62-year-old is on his second voluntary deployment.

WASHINGTON - The Marine Corps Scholarship Foundation recently raised more than $300,000 at its 23rd Annual Washington Gala to benefit high school and college students from families of active-duty and former Marines.

WASHINGTON - Citing the organization’s long history of selfless service and sacrifice, Deputy Defense Secretary William J. Lynn III helped to commemorate the Army’s 234th birthday at a Pentagon ceremony.

FORT BELVOIR, Va. - A Defense Logistics Agency employee has unraveled part of the mystery surrounding the father he never knew, discovering one side of a man who was a World War II hero who qualified for the Bronze Star.

CAMP ATTERBURY, Ind. - Civilians from the U.S. State and Agriculture departments and the U.S. Agency for International Development are training alongside their military counterparts before heading to Afghanistan.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Afghanistan dominated the discussions at the two-day NATO defense ministers conference in Belgium, and Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer said they are pleased with the results.

WARDAK PROVINCE, Afghanistan - U.S. forces in Afghanistan are distributing food, water and aid to a migratory tribe in Wardak province to prevent annual fighting with a second tribe over basic supplies.

BRUSSELS, Belgium - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates introduced the new commander of the alliance’s International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan to the NATO and partner-nation defense ministers.

WASHINGTON - Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen offered graduates of National Defense University a lesson in leading commanders, senior enlisted servicemembers and junior officers.

WASHINGTON - The United States delivered four Mi-17 cargo helicopters to the Pakistani army yesterday to support Pakistan’s counterinsurgency as well as humanitarian efforts, officials at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad announced.

KUNAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition officials recently met with provincial and village leaders to present proof that the coalition was not involved in a recent attack on the citizens of Asadabad.

WASHINGTON - The Senate has confirmed Army Lt. Gen. Stanley McChrystal to lead the U.S. and NATO efforts in Afghanistan; Navy Adm. James Stavridis to NATO’s top military post; and Air Force Lt. Gen. Douglas M. Fraser to take over as commander of U.S. Southern Command.

ABOARD A U.S. MILITARY AIRCRAFT - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said a new “intermediate” command set for Afghanistan will allow the commander to concentrate on day-to-day tactical events across the country.

WASHINGTON - May was a banner recruiting month for every military service, but especially for the Marine Corps, which topped its active-duty goal by 42 percent and its Marine Corps Reserve goal by 12 percent, Defense Department officials reported.

WASHINGTON - Minor changes to the Defense Department’s travel reservation system are scheduled for later this summer to support the Transportation Security Administration’s new pre-flight screening program.

WASHINGTON - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and Navy Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told a Senate subcommittee they expect to see a measurable shift in Afghanistan in about a year.

MARGRATEN, Netherlands - On his visit to the World War II Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial in the Netherlands, Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates said the graves are a "solemn reminder" of Americans' sacrifices.

CHATEAU ST. GERLACH, Netherlands - Additional forces will allow the coalition to better protect people in southern Afghanistan the commander of Regional Command South told Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates.

WASHINGTON - When Army Col. (Dr.) Kenneth Lee began evaluating National Guardsmen for their readiness to deploy, he did so with unique personal insights -- as someone who had suffered from traumatic brain injury.

WASHINGTON - The Defense Department must apply the same analytical rigor and resources to cyber operations as it would to any other theater of operations, the vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said.

WASHINGTON - Despite irregularites in a May 4 close-air support incident in Afghanistan that caused civilian casualties, those involved showed extraordinary care in the incident, the Pentagon’s press secretary said.

KONAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan - Task Force Chosin soldiers from 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, have been making a difference in disrupting timber smuggling in this lush area near the Pakistan border.

WASHINGTON - The National Guard is essential to hurricane response, and has been standing at readiness since the storm season began June 1, leaders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Northern Command told Congress.

NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL, France - U.S. President Barack Obama and other heads of state spoke during a ceremony honoring the troops who fought and died during the allied invasion of Normandy 65 years ago.

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan - The last time the 25th Naval Construction Regiment undertook the kind of massive construction effort it is working on in Afghanistan was 65 years ago, preparing for the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Robert Blatnik couldn't bring himself to talk about his experiences as a young soldier storming the beach in Normandy on D-Day, or missing in action in North Africa. That all changed six decades later.

WASHINGTON - Sixty-five years ago, William Dabney was a young black soldier whose role in the allied landing at Normandy would go largely ignored. Dabney returned to France this week to receive the French government's highest award for his military service.

WASHINGTON - For the sixth year, the Department of Defense Education Activity is providing webcasts of graduation ceremonies from 17 European schools, ensuring that all graduates will have a family member watching as they accept their diplomas.

WASHINGTON - A soldier who was wounded in Iraq is looking for closure for his injuries and a new starting point for his life this week as part of a team attempting to scale North America’s highest peak.

WASHINGTON - A Defense Department program that provides hiring preference to eligible civilian employees who’ve been displaced from their jobs because of downsizing or restructuring has placed its 250,000th employee.

CONTINGENCY OPERATING BASE BASRA, Iraq - A team of anthropologists are embedded with troops in Iraq to help further the mission there by finding answers to questions not normally pursued by militaries.

WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama reached out to the Muslim world in a speech urging a new beginning that rises above historical tensions and is built on commonly held principles that reject violence and promote cooperation and stability.

WASHINGTON - Inbound soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division’s 4th Brigade Combat Team will be a welcome addition for the mission of mentoring and training Afghan soldiers and police, a task force commander says.

WASHINGTON - Young people about to graduate from Camden, N.J., high schools and enter the military are getting special recognition, thanks to a local man seeking to honor them for enlisting during wartime.

WASHINGTON - Vice President Joe Biden praised winners of the 2009 Secretary of Defense Environmental Awards for leading the way in environmental stewardship as they lead the way in the nation’s defense.

WASHINGTON - After losing his right arm in combat in Iraq, retired Marine Capt. Jonathan F. Kuniholm found even feeding himself to be a challenge. Now he is among four wounded warriors attempting to summit North America's highest peak.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Some veterans compete in the annual National Veterans Golden Age Games for the camaraderie, while others come to socialize and catch up with old friends. But for many, their focus is on the desire to win.

WASHINGTON - Enid, Oklahoma, is so tied to military families that the city government has named Teresa Vance as the city's first ambassador to military families. She's never served, but her father, husband and son have.

WASHINGTON - For Lt. Col. Marc Hoffmeister, climbing the highest peak in North America will make earning his commission as an Army officer by graduating from West Point seem like a mole hill by comparison.

WASHINGTON - There are no easy answers to fixing the problems in Afghanistan, but a holistic approach is critical, the nominee to command U.S. and NATO forces there said during his Senate confirmation testimony.

WASHINGTON - With increasing pressure on the defense budget, the top military officer called increased mental health care services for returning combat troops a priority that can’t be allowed to fall by the wayside.

KABUL - The command overseeing U.S. operations in Afghanistan has launched social networking pages on three online sites in an effort to rapidly deliver information and create an online dialogue, officials said.

AL ASAD AIR BASE, Iraq - Army Sgt. 1st Class Luis R. Laluz, a reservist and New York City police officer, thought Vietnam was his last deployment. That was, until 9/11 happened. Now the former Mr. America mentors younger soldiers on nutrition and physical fitness.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - The grandson of Army Gen. George S. Patton, retired Army Col. James Patton Totten, told an audience of "Greatest Generation" veterans that they and his grandfather set the example for today's military.

FORT GREELY, Alaska - Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates stepped down inside a missile silo at Fort Greely, Alaska, to get an up-close look at the system he says will protect the United States from an intercontinental ballistic missile threat.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Nearly 700 American military veterans over age 55 are out to prove that their best days are still ahead of them as they prepare to compete in the 23rd Annual National Veterans Golden Age Games in Birmingham, Ala.

WASHINGTON - After reaching its new 206,000-member end strength objective a full year ahead of schedule, the Army Reserve has shifted its focus to shaping the force to ensure it has the proper mix of skills sets and experience levels, the Army Reserve chief said.

WASHINGTON - U.S. forces handed over responsibility of a security base and a vehicle maintenance center to the Iraqi army in the latest transfers of authority in Iraq as U.S. combat troops prepare for withdrawal.

WASHINGTON - Four wounded veterans, two mentors and a guide have begun a monumental challenge as they move from the base of North America’s highest peak in Alaska’s Denali National Park to the mountain’s base camp at an elevation of 6,850 feet.